All articles by Chris Ludwig – Page 7
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Feature
Volkswagen Depot Kassel part 2: Mitten in Europa
Pictured are the 420,000 sq.m set of OTC buildings in Baunatal, with part of the Kassel plant in the foregroundAs reflected in its main location, Depot Kassel plays a central role in the Volkswagen Group’s global service parts strategy, requiring flexibility as well as a high level of automation.Kassel/Baunatal ...
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FeatureVolkswagen Depot Kassel part 1 : The beating heart of service parts
Dr Claus Wriebe has been working in Volkswagen's spare parts logistics for more than 14 years, and took over as head of Depot Kassel in early 2014In a three-part report Automotive Logistics explores the scale and importance of the Volkswagen Group's colossal parts operations, centred around Kassel, GermanyManaging service ...
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Feature
South America conference: Taking control in a crisis
The 7th Automotive Logistics South America conference, held in São Paulo, Brazil, may have brought together delegates experiencing recession, and suffering from declining volumes, but the Brazilians showed their resilience and creativity. Companies emphasised how to reshape supply chains in a crisis, and how they could move forward together stronger, ...
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FeatureWWL: Setting a new course
WWL’s chief executive, Christopher J. Connor talks about the dramatic changes that have breached the ro-ro sector this past decade, and how he aims to navigate the years to comeIn this story...Sea change in exportsWWL's moving footprintMexican connectionsA day at the helmA future by land and seaTen years may be ...
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FeatureRo-ro by numbers: Through the storm but never far from the rock
After navigating unchartered water following the global financial collapse, carriers are now back on the lookout for growth, albeit in an increasingly fractured market.During the past decade ro-ro shipping lines, and in particular pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs), have sailed a rough and wild current. In brief, the sector ...
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Are European vehicle logistics going back to the past or the future?
More than 240 delegates gathered in Vienna, Austria for this year’s annual meeting of the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG), powered by Finished Vehicle Logistics, to discuss an industry that has returned to growth and is now confronting new technologies that could transform operations. But an ongoing and worsening ...
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FeatureMagna Europe awards providers getting safer, smarter, lighter, cleaner
Packaging supplier Wi-sales and semi-conductor manufacturer NXP took top honours at the third annual Magna Logistics Europe innovations awards, held in Leibnitz, Austria. The awards were co-hosted by Magna Logistics Europe, which is responsible for logistics planning and purchasing across more than 120 plants in Europe for the tier supplier, ...
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FeatureComing to an automotive supply chain near you
The 16th Automotive Logistics Global conference, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, brought together an industry growing and with positive outlooks. However, the potential changes heralded by the digital economy could upend business as usual. The question is when? Discussing disruption: (l to r) XPO's Bradley Jacobs; UTi's Ed ...
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FeatureThe 'X' factors of port efficiency
Speakers at the 2015 Import Export North American conference in Baltimore pointed to the need to improve visibility in the international vehicle logistics chain, and to work closely together ahead of what could be major changes to import and export patterns. Christopher Ludwig and Rachael Hogg report from Baltimore ...
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FeatureHonda part 6: Nurturing a rich harvest
From inventory management and container tracking to carbon reduction and data mining, Honda’s holistic improvement is set to continueHonda’s logistics have changed dramatically over the past decade or more, including more production sites, global suppliers and consolidation points. The introduction and expansion of a lead logistics provider has helped to ...
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FeatureHonda part 5: Working better, together
An emphasis on collaboration is helping the carmaker maximise efficiency, minimise cost and possibly avoid capacity and driver shortagesWhile part of the Honda North America logistics strategy has been to increase consolidation between all its plants, there has also been a move towards wider collaboration in the supply chain, whether ...
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FeatureHonda part 4: At the centre of change
Honda’s Regional Logistics Centre represents a move towards integration and commonality in the US, but it has also brought about ‘another way of life’ in the OEM’s homelandA good example of where Honda’s logistics have delivered a fully integrated, common supply chain solution for North America is the company’s Regional ...
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FeatureBreaking supply chain taboos in South Korea
Production growth out of the Korean peninsula is slowing, but its role in the global supply chain looks set to become more important as Hyundai-Kia and tier suppliers increase global productionSouth Korea’s supply chain is at the heart of the country’s success in automotive production. A dense network of competitive ...
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FeatureSouth Korea part 5: Complexity made simple at Pyeongtaek
Still expanding during a period of relative stability or even decline in exports, Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port is also searching for terminal efficienciesPyeongtaek-Dangjin port is South Korea’s largest for moving finished vehicles, with volume in 2014 at a record 1.5m total units, including transhipment, used and commercial equipment. That is nearly three ...
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FeatureSouth Korea part 4: Full steam ahead
A mix of carrier, 3PL, 4PL integrator and central logistics purchaser, Hyundai Glovis’s strength and expansion rely on third parties as well as Hyundai-KiaThe rise of Hyundai Glovis has been the logistics parallel to Hyundai and Kia’s emergence as production and export superpowers. The company has solidified its position as ...
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Feature
Editor's note: organising power
There is often more going on below the visible surface of a supply chain. A transmission factory might be installed near an assembly line, but the casings may come from 1,000km away. Petrol engines might be produced at an integrated campus, but clean diesel or low-emission products may be centralised ...
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FeatureEditor's note: swimming with the current in South Korea
South Korea is in a period of reflection and transition. Following decades of rapid expansion, the country is seeing a mix of slower growth with changing consumer and civic expectations. When I visited in late April, it was the anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, which left hundreds of school ...
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FeatureHonda part 3: A history of integration
Over the course of some combined 60 years at Honda, Kevin Wade (left) and Dana McBrien (right) have had a huge influence on the carmaker’s logistics systems. And they are not done yet...It takes longer to till some kinds of soil than others. Creating a more integrated logistics network and ...
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FeatureHonda part 2: Getting the lay of the land
To fulfil the scale, diversity and flexibility of its North American production, in 2014 Honda bought some $25.5 billion of production parts from 700 suppliers across the US, Canada and MexicoHonda’s footprint in North America has grown substantially since Soichiro Honda first set up a motorcycle factory in Marysville, Ohio ...
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FeatureHonda part 1: Field of dreams
Since Honda took root in a cornfield in Marysville, Ohio, the carmaker has created a supply chain of stunning complexity, length and scaleCarmakers preside over plants and sales channels as diligent farmers and shepherds would cultivate their fields, flocks and harvests. The supply chain supporting it all, meanwhile, has typically ...